Method and means for determining color characteristics



April 27 1926.

, A G. w. cLAPP METHOD Aub MEANS FOR DETERMINING coLoR CHARACTERISTICS Filed March 5. 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 fr maf m r C fwd um we [S w 8 6 Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED STATE-s ,y *1,582,122- PATENT ori-longl GEORGE WOOD CLAPP, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO THE DENTIYSTS A SUPPLY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR DETERMINJ COLOR. CHARACTERISTICS.

Application filed March 3, 1924.' Serial No. 696,432.

To all whom, t may concern.' Y

Y Be it known that I, GEORGE Yoon CLArr,

Va citizen of thelnited States, and resident ot' X ew Rochelle,`countyof'estchester, and

State of Xew York, llavejnvented.. an Improvement in Methods and Means for Determining Color Characteristics, of Vwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has for an object a method and mechanical means adapted to enable a dentist to determine the characteristic color of the skin of a person with a view of improving the quality of the service to be rendered by him in certain forms of dental' work, and especially to enable him to dccide which of several shades 1n artificial teeth is mostharmonious with the complexion as a whole or with any selected parti' 20,V It, has been diicu-lt, even for a pains-taking dentist, to select artificial teeth satisfactori-ly as to color, partly because there .has beenfno exact4 delineation of the colors dominant and submerged in a. given complexion and in the teeth, and because they have not known how to achieveeitherharvmony or a pleasing disharmony in particular cases where contrast is desirable.

This invention will enable the dentist to make a selection of artificial teeth having the proper'color or hue which will be most pleasing and in harmony with thecomplexion characteristics of the patient, which is something that has heretofore been' difiicult of accomplishment inview of the-lack of means adapted to exclude cross lights and the securing of isolated portions of the complexion for comparison with enlargements of the areaof color characteristic of Vth tooth shades.

The utility of my invention is based upon the fact thatsome skins show more gray than others, some likewise show more red than others, and yet in other cases, more `vellow predomiuates;l and the knowledge of the proportions of the several colors in the skin will enable the dentist, to select artificial teeth in which the harmonious colors are dominant, it being understood that in the making of the artificial teeth, coloring oxides or their equivalent are incorporated in connection with the silex or porcelain making material for insuring the proper color or shade characteristics desired.

By experimental research, the color composition o a large number of skins has been determined and from these aselected small number have been classified as representative of the much larger number and are employed in connection with my improvements as the basis of comparison, with 'the tooth shades. Moreover, I have prepared colored szunples of material respectively `having color characteristics corresponding to the selected color components ot' the skin, and

-tfie colors represented by these colored materials also correspond to the color or shade characteristics of the commercial artificial teeth specially made according to the shade guide requirements.

In the utilization of my invention, the specially prepared colored surfaces are successively compared with the complexion of selected parts of the skin of the patient, until the one which most closely approximates the color Vof thev skin is determined, and thereupon, by reference to asuitable chart or indicia, preferablyy 'associated with the colored test surfaces, the corresponding or nearest approximating color or shade of the artificial teeth are indicated by reference to the number of the tooth shade guide lwhich designates the various shades -or colors of the articial teeth manufactured under certain numbers or indicia. In this connection, it may be stated that, by means of certain data to be published in connection -with the device and` which may constitutel the indicia, the proportions of the several component colors employed in the selected oolor material may ne made known and this information may be employed in connection with the manufacture of articial teeth or other articles or for other purposes of a cially-useful ,in the preparation and selection Aof artificial teeth, the essence of the inven tion, directed` to the preparation of the coloredmaterials for comparison with the skin colors, may be also applied to other purposes, as in the selection of coloring of an artificial hand o r for-artists in portrait painting, as examples, and also for enabling physiciansto" make records of changes in colors of the skin in patients to indicate conditions of health, and more particularly in establishing certainv pathological conditionsV which may be indicative of or. in confirmation of-certain symptoms peculiar to special l5 diseases` or drangement. of the patients system.

I The method or employment ofthev principles involved in this invention comprehends the shielding of the face or body portion of a person with the exception of a small area which visually exposes the color or tint thereof and comparing therewith a plurality of previously prepared colored surfaces having definite or known composition o r components as to color and of which there 1s a dominant color, the components of .said color effect being designated by indicia in connection with the colored surfaces employed in making the comparison, whereby theproportion of the colors and dominant color may be determined.

-l\[y invention also comprehends certain apparatus 'or means for more conveniently -carrying out the method and` providing the dentist or doctor with adjustablecolor surfaces associated with a suitable apertured shield whereby a proper comparison of the colored surfaces may be made with the skin or other part of the patient exposed through 40 the aperture. i

50, ratus covering the structural requirements of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a shield with adjustable colored surfaces constituting structural characteristics of my invention and which is adapted for carrying out the method thereof; Fig. 2 is a cross section of thesame taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Figf 3 is a similar cross'section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and showing application of the shield 'to a 50 patients cheek; Fig. 4 is a rear view of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a front view corresponding to Fi 1, but provided with an additional acl-justa le part having thereon surfaces representing artificial teeth of the various colors or shades; 6 is a vertical section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4; Fig."7 is a teeth; Fig. 9 is a vertical sectionillustrating a modified construction for exposingv the colored surfaces to view; and Fig. 10 is a plan view ofa modification of apparatus adapted for the carrying out of the method herein set out andforminga part of my. in-

vention. f

2 representsa shield which may be made of heavy cardboard or any other suitable i material and is provided with an opening 13 through which a limited portionof the cheek or other part of the patient is to be viewed, the adjacent portions being shielded from yview by the carboardbody of the shield sur rounding the aperture. Adjacent to the aperture 13 is another aperture 7, preferably of approximately the same size. Pivoted at 5 and located at the back of. the shield 2is a disk 11- whose surface is provided with a plurality of colored portions 8 which may have all ofthe lshades` or tints from the lightestto the darkest and in which the i `various colors, such as red, yellow or gray,l

may beK the dominant color or tint. Thus, for example, as shown in Fig. 1, there are ten colored surfaces 8 and these may lbe so colored as to start with the lighter or paler 1 shade and terminate with .thegradually increasing and darker shade in which the dominant color varies, and moreover, with the several variations in shades as to pale-v ness or darkness, there may be a plurality of such shades ofeach degree of lightness or `darkness, but in which the dominant color may be varied as imparting a yellowish cast or` a pinkish cast. The disk 11 may have its perimeter projecting beyondthe shield or mask 2, so-that it may be adjusted to bring different colored portions 8 in alinement with the opening 7, and as these exposed colored portions 8 are of substantially the same area as'the portion `of the skin exposed through the opening 13, a fair comparison of the two is readily made. To protect the disk portion 11, a backing card 10 may be employed,

the samebeing secured in position by spac- -ing pieces 16 at the corners and eyelets 14 uniting the front and back cards through the spacing pieces, all of which will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 4. In this way, the shield or mask may be .pressed against the cheek of the patient, to expose the skin through the opening 13, without interference with the pivoted disk portion 11 carrying the colored surfaces, 4and hence the sam'e may be adjustedl while the shield is, in contact with the patient. It is manifest that the opening 7 might bein the backing card 10 and with the' disk reversed to present the colors through said opening1 and then use the shield in the reversed position, as the effect would be exactly the same, only that the disk would be arranged at the front of the main card 2 instead of at the rear of it. .is shown in Fig. l, there is an additional small aperture 7hin the shield card 2,-the same being adjacent to the aperture 7 and it will be seen that the disk 1l has numbers arranged in respect to each of the colored surfaces, so that the number corresponding to anysurface will be exposed through the opening 7, at the saine time that the color toV which it corresponds. is exposed through the opening 's'. This number will correspond toa shade number which may be printed in connection with a scale upon the backing card 10 or upon any associated card and which will indicatefv the proportions of yellow, red and` gray or other colors) that would enter into the make-upof the colored surfaceh corresponding to the shade number.. Such a scale is indicated on the back of the cardportion 10, in Fig. 4. These shade numbers may simply rela@ to different colored surfaces, irrespective of the particular use of the device, or they may represent the shade numbers. employed on tooth shade guides wherein any number represents a particular tooth shade.l In this manner, thetint or sha-de best `suited to the complexion of the person, so that it harmonizes, even though it differs greatly in actual color, may be selected by the use of the device, and by noting the number which Vshows through the small aperture i", the particular shade of tooth so determined may be instantlv assured b v selecting the tooth corresponding to that shade number. Incidentally, the scale may indicate the vproportions of the colors employed in the production of the artiticial tooth, but that is only important in being a guide in the manufacture ofthe teeth so that the proper colors tor any particular shade number can always be duplicated'and assuredwith certainty.

Vhere the device is specially intended for dentists usevand only for the selection of teeth, the disk 11 shown in Fig. l may be made as illustrated in Fig. 8', in which the disk 1la has its surface l? made, in general. similar to the disk l1 in Fig. l, except that the colored portions 8 are made with the design of artilicial teeth thereon, as at 8, the picture of the teeth being emphasized by being formed -upon a dark background. `Where the device is to be used for determining color effects, either identical in shade with the person or object viewed through the aperture 13, or in respect to being in harmony with the color of said person or object, then and in that event, the surfaces 8 may be tinted or colored merely as surfaces and without having any design. such as contemplated in the structure of Fig. 8. 4 Such use may be resorted to by physicians vtho desire.

to comparev patients complexions with color I tints which may indicate certa-in pathological conditions of the patient, and in that wav be a guide tothe physician as to the health of the patient; and especially is this the case, where previous tests or comparisons have been made when the patient has been in the best of health and note of the color comparisons have been recorded.

As another useful employment of the particular device, where the surfaces 8 are made to contain dat tints or shades, is the employment of the device by artists to determine 4the color constituents necessary to produce a shade or color eiect upon the picturebeingpainted to correspond to the shade or color tint of the person posing.' n this case, the

color or tint may be determined separately for the forehead, cheeks, neck or arms, as well as for the hair. eyes and lips. by -way of example, so that the artist may be assured that in the finished picture he has been able to incorporate into the diliferent portions .thereof exactly the right colors to correspond to those embodied in the subject, andv -8 which will enable the user of the device to properly .locate the shade on the scale which is shown in Fig. Lt, or which may be otherwise provided for use in connection with this device.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7. l have shown a modified construction of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to e, inclusive` in so tar as providing the shield or mask with two disks to be employed with separate. apertures. such as a disk l1 for use with aperture and a disk 11" for use with aperture 7a, the disk ll being the same as the disk 1l in Fig. 1. and the disk lla being the'same as the disk shownin Fig. Spui-'herein the teethdesigns are shown However. iu this particular adaptability of these disks to the same shield. l have indicated upon `their coloredsurfaces the shade numbers instead of employing additional apertures correspond ing to 7. This adaptability of the shade 'numbers to the surface is in accordance with what l have already stated may be done when referring to the struct-ure of Fig. l. In this particular device of Fig. 5. it will be noted that the disk 11 is journaled to the rear card l0. as at 5. whereas the other disk lla may be jourlnaled to the front card of the device, as nditaneously exposed throughf'the apertures 7 4 and 7, as clearly indicated in Fig. 5. By this construction, the device may not only" be especially adapted for dentists use in selecting artificial teeth, but may also be adapted for the use of physicians. in determining the pathological conditions of the patients. lAl-l so, it will be understood that while .I have shown the disk l1a as being formed withthfe color effects corresponding to teeth and with the design of teeth illustrated, I do not confine myself to the particular usein connectionl with the selection vof artificial teeth, as

other designs and coloring may be employed, -such as would be necessary in determining the color in artificial eyes but what is shown is by way of example only and not as limitation.

Whilev I have showna simple and inexpensive construction of device for utilizing my improved method of determining color shades I do not in any manner limit myself thereto. It will be understood that- -instead of the disks employed in connection with the shield or mask, an endless band, asy indicated at 19. irt Fig. 9, may be employed, the same passing about guide rollers 20 arranged above and below the aperture 7 in the shield. WAny other suitable means may be employed for securing the same results,.and I, therefore,

` do not restrict myself tothe particular ap-` paratus shown. It will also be understood ,that while a screen withadjustable parts connected thereto is desirable, the same is not necessary to the practice of my improved method and, in this respect, it may be understood thatif the screen is employed, the various shades as to color may be upon separate cards or carriers and these may be associated with the corresponding shade numbers and be separately held in position for comparison with the skinror Vsurface exposed through the'aperture of the shield. Furthermore, the shield is not absolutely necessary, Ias the surfaces having the shade or i color may be directly placed against the skin or object with which comparison isftol be made for determining the shade or composi tion thereof, and it will also be understood that, if desired, the colored surfaces may be associated on the same card Withan aperture so that whenthe a erture is placed against the surface with which the color is to be compared, said surface will show through .the`

aperture and in close. relative position of the colored surface-on the card.` InA this way,

there would bea small-shielding part .aboutv 'A the exposed surface ofthe skin or object, so

as to' concentratethe vision'upon a relatively` smalle/rea of the person, for the better-,mak

in anyv particular case.

ing of the comparison.' This modified' construction, Wherein the shield and the colored surface are associated in an integral card, is

illustrated in Fig. l10..

From the foregoing, it will be understood that while some suitable form of apparatus is desirable forthe convenienttesting of the color or shade requirements, nevertheless, the

method ofdeterminingthe color constituents in the surface or object examined mayv beperformed with separately colored samples, whether made on cards or other materials, and having a desi atin number or other indicia which may e utihzed in'respect to a suitable scale which Will determine the color constituents and also the relative proportions of the same.

As far as .I am aware, there is at the present time no generally accepted classilication of humanjcomplexi'ons which could be considered as suficiently exact; to be used as a satisfactory basis for the selection of the shade in artificial teethwhich will 'be most pleasing for any given case, nor

even to readily give anfintelligent determination of the colorconstituents both as to their kind and proportion which may form any particular complexiomand itis, therefore, specially the purpose of my invention to provide not only the classification -of such complexions, but 'also "colored surfaces lWhe-,ther in the flat or in various designs,

such'as teeth, eyes, etc., having definite color constituents according to the classification and which may be lcompared with the complexion to be simulated or with which harmony is to be provided in the teeth or other ob3ect las a means of'facilitating the dentist,

physician, art-ist or other person in uickly determining the requirements or con 'tions very common tosimply designate persons. as

For example, it is a. brunette orl blonde, but seldom do v they consider or recognize important dlfferl ences indepth of 'color in each of these classes, and more' particularly fail to recog- `nize equal important differences in vcolor l composition, as might warrant the assump,

tion of a yellow blondefand a red 'blonde for example, as subclassification .in the genrespect to ,brunetteslk Itis also evident that, there are greatnumbers of people who :arev bteween -.blonde'.a`nd brunettes and the color effects of the skins vofthese people `eral classl of "blondes,;g and similarly, in

employed in thetest. colors whichV closely approximate vor lcompare with the color ef- A fects embodied inthe skins of such persons,

and by thev employment of my present m-I vention,`the physician, dentist, or artist may each readily' and accurately determine Qthe class and sull-classl of color and shade tov which such belong.,

lib

i or scale by which the color constituentsmay dit As before stated, certain data is required.

giving the proportionsot' the several colorv components in any testsurface and, moreover, which will also, 1n the preferredform,

incorporate this data in such a manner as to facilitate the classification of complexions into groups and the determination of the dominant color in each group, whereby the selection of teeth having similar or harmonious dominantcolors may be easily made.

'While the devices herein illustrated and described may be convenientlyv employed for securing the benefits of the present invention, it will be understood that the improvementis directed more to the method involved in the preparation and comparisons, whereby the proper color constituents may be accurately and quickly determined, rather than in any special apparatus for enabling the said method to be put into practice. This will be understood by considering thestruc-v ture illustrated in Fig. l0, wherein the comparison or test colors are on separate cards or supporting means and which may be' used with or without the shield'openings and in association with the classified data.

be determined.

wt will also be understood that where the colored test surfaces are on separate parts, as in Fig. l() for example, with or without the apertured shield portion, the color components of which the coloredv surface 1 s composed may be printed or marked directlyupon the part or sheet carrying the colored surface, in which case the indicia will constitute direct data. instead of a cross reference to a chart or scale common to a plurality o colored test surfaces, as in Figs. l, 4 and 5. It will be seen, however, that, as shown in Fig. Il, the chart or scale is mechanicallyY associated with the colored surfaces, even though the latter are adjustable relatively to the. shield. ln those cases, it is more convenient to have a chartor scale common to a plurality7 of colored surfaces, but l do not restrict myself to any particular manner of marking the color components in association with the colored surfaces themselves, the manner of association shown being by way of example only.

lWhile l have more particularly referred to cardboard as the basis of the devices for the color scheme, it is to be understood that these supporting means for the color may be of cardboard, paper, metal, glass. celluloid, wood or other substance, and the color may be incorporated to the surfaces in any desired manner or by any desired means, such as by painting, staining, dyeing or printing. 'To facilitate the making up of these test colors, they may be printed in large sheets and stamped into disks which may be pasted upon the .supporting means.

It is also to be understood that these colored slips or separate parts may be held in position by the. hand back of the openingr in connection with the shield, if of the form of F ig. 1, and if placed upon disks, as illus- A trated therein, a plurality of such disks may be used with a single shield, either simultaneously, as in Fig. 5, or interchangeably by substitution. if so desired. It they are used interchangeably. then each diskv may have a large number of sub-classified colored sur- 'aces under a. single general class, which would facilitate the carrying out of the method where it was to 'be extended to a great variety of classes and sub-classes.

l have described my improved method and means in that partieularity which l deem to be the bestexposition of my invention, and that which l prefer in commercial practice, but l do not restrict or confine myself to the minor or secondary details, as such are sus-' ceptible of modification and may be resorted to as matters of mechanical skill and without a departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Means for determining the color characteristics of a surface of an object, such as the skin of a person, comprising a shield having two apertures in-relatively close association, one of which extends entirely through the shield whereby a limited portion of the skin or other part of a person may be viewed, combined with a rotatable sheet journaled to the shield and having thereon a plurality of cofored surfaces ofa dominant color but respectively of diderent shades thereof, said colored surfacesso disposed upon the sheet as to permit them to besuccessively brought under the other of the apertures in the shield for comparison with the skin or other part of the object viewed through the other ofthe twoapertures, and said colored surfaces each being associated with indiciaby which its color constituents ma)v be determined.

2. Means for determining the color char` acteristics of a surface oflan object, such as the skin of a person,` comprising a shield having two apertures in relatively close association, through one of which a limited portion of the skin or other part of a person may be viewed. combined with a rotatable .sheet journaled to the shield and having thereon a plurality of colored surfaces of a dominant color but. respectively of diii'erent shades thereof, said colored surfaces so disposed upon the sheet as to permit them to be successively brought under 'one ot' the apertures in the shield for comparison with the skin or other part of the object viewed ios through the other apertures, and said col-- ored surfaces each'b'eing associated with indicia by which its color constituents may be determ1ned,.and wherein the colored surfaces are made in form and4 appearance to repre" sentportions of the human body.

3. Means for determining- AtheA color.

having thereon a plurality of `colored surf v faces-of a dominant color but-respectively of different shades thereof, said colored surfacesL so disposed upon the sheet as to permit them to be successively brought=under one of the apertures in the shield forycom.;

parisonl with' theskin 'or' other part of ythe object viewed through the other-aperture, and said colored sur aces each being associated with indicia by which its color constitu-*- ents may be determined, and wherein fur-` ther the shield is provided with an additional aperture and also an additional sheet having, thereon colored surfaces *provided with indicia for determining their respecf tive Acolor components, said sheet also journaled to the shield on an axis out of aline ment with the journal of the first mentionedA sheet and adapted to cause its colored surg faces'to be brought-into alinement back of the additional aperture in the shield, said sheets being independently adjustabley relative to the shield and to each other.

- 4. Means for determining the color characteristicsof a surface of an'object, such as the skin oa person, comprising.v a shield having` two apertures therein one of which extends entire y through the shield and permits a limited portion lof the skin of a person or other objectrtov be viewed, combined with a diskjournaled to the back ofthe shieldand'provided on its`surface adjacent to the perimeter with a plurality of colored surfaces havin a dominant color but successively varying in -shade and whereby they maybe broughtfinto'alinement back of the second opening-in the shield for comparison with the colorof the skin or object viewed through the other aperture, said col ored portions of the disk provided with indici'a by which the component colors of' each of the colored surfaces maybe determi-ned,

the perimeter of the' disk projecting beyond the edge of the screenV whereby it may bel manually adjusted.

4 51' The invention according to claim .4,

whereinfurther, the means i's provided with a ixed'chartl or-scale 'containing a series of indicia similar to that on the disk and-having associated with eachlsuch indicialadditional matter which specifies the proportionsA of the component parts of the color required tov produce the particular shade of the surface correspondingto the respective indicia.

6. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the shield is further providedv with a backing -sheet between which and the shield proper the disk is 'arranged and protected,

said backing sheet being secured to the shield by spacing pieces to provide the vrequisite space'to` receive the disk and terminating to one side of the aperture through which the skin is to be viewed.

In testimony of which invention, vI-'h:ere-' hand unto set my v GEORGE woon CLAPP. 

